Large winter falcons and their Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) prey at an urban grain terminal in Edmonton, Alberta: an update
In winter, Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) and Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) frequent a 96-year-old grain terminal, in Edmonton, Alberta, hunting Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). This phenomenon was reviewed shortly after it was first noticed by others in 1998 and, since then, we have observed hunting s...
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ftjcfn:oai:canadianfieldnaturalist.ca:article/2515 2023-05-15T16:10:05+02:00 Large winter falcons and their Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) prey at an urban grain terminal in Edmonton, Alberta: an update Lynds, Marissa Card, Jamie Hedstrom, Hayley Delaney, Don Court, Gordon Acorn, John 2020-11-28 application/pdf https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/2515 https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v134i3.2515 eng eng The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/2515/2541 https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/2515 doi:10.22621/cfn.v134i3.2515 Copyright (c) 2020 The Canadian Field-Naturalist The Canadian Field-Naturalist; Vol. 134 No. 3 (2020); 205-209 0008-3550 Gyrfalcon Prairie Falcon Rock Pigeon Falco rusticolus Falco mexicanus Columba livia grain terminal predation colour preference thermoregulation Alberta info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2020 ftjcfn https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v134i3.2515 2021-09-02T18:54:59Z In winter, Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) and Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) frequent a 96-year-old grain terminal, in Edmonton, Alberta, hunting Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). This phenomenon was reviewed shortly after it was first noticed by others in 1998 and, since then, we have observed hunting success and methods of Gyrfalcons and Prairie Falcons that were similar but not identical to earlier observations, with success rates of 21.0% and 10.6%, respectively, compared with 10.6% and 26.0% earlier. The most frequently observed hunting strategy for both species was a repeated upward attack on swirling Rock Pigeon flocks, resulting in success rates of 10.7% and 11.4%, respectively. Notably, 50% of downward dive hunts made by Gyrfalcon were successful, although only eight hunts using this method were recorded. The falcons were mildly selective with respect to pigeon colour morphs, with an apparent preference for pied colouration. Contrary to previous interpretations, Rock Pigeon do not appear to eat spilled grain on the building to any great extent; instead, the terminal may simply provide abundant roosting sites, which attain surface temperatures roughly 10°C warmer than ambient on sunny days and at temperatures below −20°C when the building is warmed internally. Article in Journal/Newspaper Falco rusticolus gyrfalcon The Canadian Field-Naturalist (E-Journal) Falcon Rock ENVELOPE(-130.370,-130.370,54.216,54.216) The Canadian Field-Naturalist 134 3 205 209 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The Canadian Field-Naturalist (E-Journal) |
op_collection_id |
ftjcfn |
language |
English |
topic |
Gyrfalcon Prairie Falcon Rock Pigeon Falco rusticolus Falco mexicanus Columba livia grain terminal predation colour preference thermoregulation Alberta |
spellingShingle |
Gyrfalcon Prairie Falcon Rock Pigeon Falco rusticolus Falco mexicanus Columba livia grain terminal predation colour preference thermoregulation Alberta Lynds, Marissa Card, Jamie Hedstrom, Hayley Delaney, Don Court, Gordon Acorn, John Large winter falcons and their Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) prey at an urban grain terminal in Edmonton, Alberta: an update |
topic_facet |
Gyrfalcon Prairie Falcon Rock Pigeon Falco rusticolus Falco mexicanus Columba livia grain terminal predation colour preference thermoregulation Alberta |
description |
In winter, Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) and Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) frequent a 96-year-old grain terminal, in Edmonton, Alberta, hunting Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). This phenomenon was reviewed shortly after it was first noticed by others in 1998 and, since then, we have observed hunting success and methods of Gyrfalcons and Prairie Falcons that were similar but not identical to earlier observations, with success rates of 21.0% and 10.6%, respectively, compared with 10.6% and 26.0% earlier. The most frequently observed hunting strategy for both species was a repeated upward attack on swirling Rock Pigeon flocks, resulting in success rates of 10.7% and 11.4%, respectively. Notably, 50% of downward dive hunts made by Gyrfalcon were successful, although only eight hunts using this method were recorded. The falcons were mildly selective with respect to pigeon colour morphs, with an apparent preference for pied colouration. Contrary to previous interpretations, Rock Pigeon do not appear to eat spilled grain on the building to any great extent; instead, the terminal may simply provide abundant roosting sites, which attain surface temperatures roughly 10°C warmer than ambient on sunny days and at temperatures below −20°C when the building is warmed internally. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lynds, Marissa Card, Jamie Hedstrom, Hayley Delaney, Don Court, Gordon Acorn, John |
author_facet |
Lynds, Marissa Card, Jamie Hedstrom, Hayley Delaney, Don Court, Gordon Acorn, John |
author_sort |
Lynds, Marissa |
title |
Large winter falcons and their Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) prey at an urban grain terminal in Edmonton, Alberta: an update |
title_short |
Large winter falcons and their Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) prey at an urban grain terminal in Edmonton, Alberta: an update |
title_full |
Large winter falcons and their Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) prey at an urban grain terminal in Edmonton, Alberta: an update |
title_fullStr |
Large winter falcons and their Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) prey at an urban grain terminal in Edmonton, Alberta: an update |
title_full_unstemmed |
Large winter falcons and their Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) prey at an urban grain terminal in Edmonton, Alberta: an update |
title_sort |
large winter falcons and their rock pigeon (columba livia) prey at an urban grain terminal in edmonton, alberta: an update |
publisher |
The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/2515 https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v134i3.2515 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-130.370,-130.370,54.216,54.216) |
geographic |
Falcon Rock |
geographic_facet |
Falcon Rock |
genre |
Falco rusticolus gyrfalcon |
genre_facet |
Falco rusticolus gyrfalcon |
op_source |
The Canadian Field-Naturalist; Vol. 134 No. 3 (2020); 205-209 0008-3550 |
op_relation |
https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/2515/2541 https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/2515 doi:10.22621/cfn.v134i3.2515 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2020 The Canadian Field-Naturalist |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v134i3.2515 |
container_title |
The Canadian Field-Naturalist |
container_volume |
134 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
205 |
op_container_end_page |
209 |
_version_ |
1765995334090096640 |